Buckle



Aug- 26, 1941- u I H. BEAzLEY 2,253,749

BUCKLE Filed Dec. 2,v 1940 WARD. BEAZLEY Si? ATToRNE`Y Patented Aug. 26,1941 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE BUCKLE Howard Beazley, Marshall, Mo.Application December 2, 1940, serial No. 368,166 6 Claims. '501. :a4-173) Myjinvention relates to a `buckle and more particularly to a bucklefor use with a safety belt such as worn by airplane pilots orparachutists. Such belts are subject to great strain when in use and tobe effective must be provided with fastening means which will withstandstrains without being released thereby but which may be quickly releasedwhen necessary with the minimum of exertion.

The object of my invention is to provide a buckle of simple and ruggedconstruction which will meet the requirements of such service. To thisend I provide a buckle comprising a frame attached at one end to the xedend of a belt and provided at the other end with a keeper for the freeend of the belt, the free end of the belt being engaged by a tongue, orpreferably a gang of tongues, the action of which is controlled by anindependently movable finger piece.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one form of buckle madein accordance with my invention together with la belt to which it isapplied, Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the buckle in lockedposition; Figure 2 is a similar view showing the buckle in releasedposition;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View; Figure 4 is av section taken on the line4-4 of Fig-ure 1; Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure2, the belt being omitted; and Figure 6- is a side elevation of thebuckle alone.

'Ihe frame I of my buckle, which is preferably formed of a casting, isprovided at one end with a plate 2 to which the fixed end 3 of the beltis secured by any suitable means, such as rivets 4. At the opposite endthe frame is provided with a keeper 5 for the free end 3 of the belt.Formed in the lower face of the frame are pockets 6, preferably three innumber. Positioned in each pocket is an arm B' mounted on a crossshaft 1. Each arm carries a tongue 8 which projects upwardly through aslot 9 in the upper face of the frame. The lower edge of each arm isprovided with a cam face II) for cooperation with the tongue controllingmeans hereinafter described.

Extending through the frame parallel with the shaft 1 is the actuatingbar II which is formed with three transverse slots to provide cam facesI2. Formed on the ends of the bar II are short non-circular sections I3which engage with correspondingly shaped openings in arms I4. The endsof arms I4 are connected by a finger piece I5 in the form of a platehaving an edge whichv is turned upwardly when the buckle is in lockedposition, as best shown in Figure 4. .The arms and finger piece may beformed integral but for convenience in assembling the deViceI prefer tokmake one or both detachable by means ofscrews I6 passing through lugs Ilon the arm into the plate I5. The free end 3' of the belt is Iprovidedwith a row of grommets I8 spaced to register with tongues 3. While onlyone row of grommets is essential, I prefer to use two or more rows, asshown in Figure 1, to provide adjustability for the belt.

In using my buckle when it is desired to secure the belt, the fingerpiece is swung into the position shown in Figure 5. 'I'his rotates thebar I I into such position that the tongues fall down against the camfaces I2. The free end of the belt is passed under the keeper 5 and overthe body of the frame until the desired row 'of grommets registers withthe tongues. The linger piece is now swung into the position shown inFigure 4. This rotates the bar I I causing the cam faces I2 to raise thetongues into vertical position. The cam face III of the arm now bearsagainst the curved surface of the bar. In this position the pull of thebelt on the tongues has no tendency to rotate the bar and hence thebuckle cannot be released by excessive strain on the belt. To releasethe buckle the linger piece is grasped and swung upwardly. As soon asthe cylindrical portion of the bar moves out of engagement with camfaces I0 of the arms of 6', the pull of the belt on the tonguescompletes the releasing movement automatically by the pressure of facesI0 against the edges of faces I2. The cam faces I2 should be sopositioned that the releasing movement will begin when the arms I4 areat substantially right angles to the frame.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame attached at one end tothe fixed end of a belt, said frame being provided at the other end witha keeper for the free end of the belt, a tongue movably carried by theframe and projecting through a face thereof to engage the free end ofthe belt, and a pivotal finger piece movable independently of the tonguebut controlling the action of the latter.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame attached at one end tothe fixed end of a belt, said frame being provided at the other end Witha keeper for the free end of the belt, a pivotal tongue movably carriedby the frame and projecting through a face thereof to engage the freeend of the belt, a pivotal finger piece, and a cam carried by the frameand moved by the nnger piece for actuating the tongue.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame attached at one end tothe xed end of a belt, said frame being provided at the other end with akeeper for the free end of the belt, a cross shaft mounted in the frame,an arm mounted on the shaft and carrying the tongue, an actuating barhaving a cam controlling the movement of the tongue, and a linger piecefor rotating the actuating bar.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame attached at one end tothe iixed end of a belt, said frame being provided at the other end Witha keeper for the free end of the belt, a pocket in the lower face ofsaid frame and communieating through a slot with the upper face thereof,an arm pivotally mounted in said slot and provided with a tongueextending through the s1ot, an actuating bar for controlling themovement of the tongue, and a pivotal finger piece for rotating the bar.

CFI

5. In a device of the class described, a frame attached at one end tothe fixed end of a belt, said frame being provided at the other end witha keeper for the free end of the belt, said frame including anintermediate perforate portion forming a support for the free end of thebelt, a tongue carried by the frame and projecting through saidintermediate perforate portion to engage the free end of the belt, and alinger piece carried by the frame and pivoted thereto at a xed point,said finger piece controlling the engagement of the tongue with thestrap, said finger piece forming when in closed position a. releasablebelt guard at the end of the frame to which the belt is attached.

6. In a device oi the class described, a frame attached at one end tothe xed end of a belt, a tongue carried by said frame and movablerelatively thereto to engage and disengage the free end of the belt, anda member movable relatively to the frame, said member operating torelease the tongue from the belt While the former is under the loadstrain of the latter.

HOWARD BEAZLEY.

